First of all I am a new bowler. I believe in buy right the first time and you do not have to spend more money on the samething. So I was practicing yesterday with a friend. So another bowler came up to us and asked why did I spend my money on those shoes (The Dexter 9's). I told him it's my money and I buy what i want when I want. He left then cameback. Then he ask why I have 6 hammer bowling balls (Scandal,Scandal Pearl,Viral Solid, Red legend Pearl, Dark Legend and Blue Urethane). I told him to refer to the first answer I gave him. He left and came back for a third time and stated that the 9's are for professional use only and that having 6 balls from the same company is for profesionals that are being sponsored by that company.
I didn't say anything else to the dude. I went straight to the manager of that alley and told him what was going on. The manager told me that he is jealous of the fact that I am a new bowler with top of the line gear. The manager did talk to guy and handled it. This has my mind blown cause I would never think people would be jealous in bowling. This is crazy. I believe if I didn't say anything, he would have started on my two handed bowling.He had to be watching me hard to notice that I had 6 hammer bowls and which ones was mines because my friend had 3 balls on the rack to (Viral solid, Scandal,Paradox). Does this happens alot if so I would like to hear the stories.
2handedvolcano PLEASE DO NOT REPLY

I can guarantee that guy isn't only person in your bowling community that thinks that way. It's not that he is jealous....in his mind you are not conforming to everyone else in the local bowling community.

I have experienced this same thing years ago in my local bowling center. I had a friend who routinely went out to Vegas, and would always buy me a Sam's Town Bowling Shirt. Wore it to league and received a lot of comments. "Are you a professional?" of course sarcastically.

I see many league bowlers wearing Football, Baseball, and Hockey jerseys. No problem. But as soon as someone wears a shirt with a PBA Log on it, all of sudden, the guy becomes the joke of the night. Phrases like "PBA Wanna Be!" and stuff like that.

I don't get it.

 

dj,

While it is possible that the guy was jealous, I have had people do the same to me. But most often these people really don't understand why such shoes and why several balls may be necessary. Such people have had one ball all their lives, they bowl in one league at one house, just for the fun and for he social aspect. They truly don't get the idea of bowling in many different houses, on different approaches, in bowling tournaments, bowling on different oil amounts and patterns.

When such people come up to you and ask, I think you have to assume they really want to know for the sake of understanding, not because they're going to put you down for having a wide and varied assortment that they don't have.

I have also had some duffers come up to me and ask why I have so many balls. When I know them or are acquainted with them, I will often jokingly reply, "I am not as good as you; I need more options.", even though I may average 20 pins higher than they do.  That is all in good fun. Then I explain the more serious side.

Tell them......



 

When I decided to get serious about bowling after graduating college, I decided that when I go bowling, I'm going to wear a bowling shirt. My reasoning? Most golfers when they go golfing, always wear golf shirts. I'm a bowler, I'm wearing bowling shirts. I have more bowling shirts in my closet than any other shirt. You will not see me throwing a bowling ball without a bowling shirt on. If people think I want to be a PBA wanna be, that's on them. I'm just proud to be a bowler. A lot of people ask me if I am on staff. I just say, "No, but I wouldn't say no if they asked me to be."

Whenever someone asks why I have so many bowling balls (it's usually a recreational bowler that asks) I ask if they golf, if they do, I ask how many golf clubs they carry with them.  It's the easiest way to explain, sure, I could hit a 7 iron for every shot on a golf course but it's not the best way to score.

Many bowlers are Cheap, are Cheats, and/or Covetous.

I'm over 40 and my response to you is.......BULL!